ROBERTO DI MATTEO wants to stamp his own mark on Chelsea now that he has been handed the job of taking the club forward for the next two years.

The Italian, in just 12 weeks at the end of last season, achieved the almost impossible by steering a disintegrating Chelsea to Champions League and FA Cup glory. But he admits the pressure will be even more intense this time round.

Handed the job full-time by owner Roman Abramovich, after what seemed an interminable wait five weeks ago, the normally cool Di Matteo bridles at criticism that, after his team’s backs-to-the-wall triumphs last year, he needs to make his new Chelsea more entertaining and exciting.

Di Matteo’s players – except those who were on Euro 2012 duty – report back for pre-season next week and he said: “I will be able to make this my team. That will happen slowly over time.

It won’t be an overnight thing. I wouldn’t expect radical changes

Roberto Di Matteo

“It won’t be an overnight thing. I wouldn’t expect radical changes. Six months down the line I want us to be a good team who can compete and are always in the frame for the targets this club have.

“Sure, people want style. We would all like to play like Barcelona, but there is not another team who play like them in the world. The important thing is that we play well and challenge in every game with the players we have available.

“If you just judge our work on three matches out of the 21 I was involved in – the two games against Barcelona and the final against Bayern Munich – you forget all the other games. The 4-2 win against Napoli, beating Tottenham 5-1 – and all the other games where the team expressed their offensive potential.

“On average we scored two goals every game. My teams usually create chances and score goals. It’s unjustified to focus on three games and give us a tag like that. We had some players out in the final and I’ve not seen any other team play expansively against Barcelona.”

Chelsea have already recruited Eden Hazard and Marko Marin in nearly £40million of business, while Salomon Kalou is in talks with Premier League new boys Southampton. Di Matteo hinted that there will be more arrivals, with a striker and right-back his priorities.

The manager, who will again have Eddie Newton as his No2, will see his pre-season schedule interrupted by the Olympics.

He expects meningitis victim Daniel Sturridge to be released from hospital this weekend and still to play a part in the Games.

Di Matteo said: “Daniel has viral meningitis, but I have spoken to him and he feels better. He is still in hospital but I am optimistic he will recover in time to play.”

Ryan Bertrand, Juan Mata, Oriol Romeu and David Luiz will also be involved. On top of that is skipper John Terry’s looming court case, which begins on Monday. The case itself is expected to last a week.

Di Matteo said: “Of course there will be pressure. There is always pressure. Last season wasn’t exactly easy. Having won the European title might bring more expectations. But this is a club who have always had expectations. That is nothing new.

“I have been in football all my life. I know that managers are judged by results. It’s as simple as that. It’s no different for me than anybody else.”

One of the reasons for the delay in Di Matteo getting the job permanently was that Chelsea spent several weeks courting outgoing Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, who was Abramovich’s No1 target this summer.

But, when the Spaniard refused to break his sabbatical, the Chelsea owner turned to the man who had done so well for him last year.

Di Matteo, however, insists he is not bothered. He said: “There has been speculation from day one and I have lived with it. I don’t feel any shadow over me.

“I am not going to change. I will still be the same person – and I will do things my way.”